Food for Friday – Frittata

So, as we discussed and in case you hadn’t noticed, its December. Everyone is busy and running from one cookie and dip-laden party to the next. I’m going out on a limb this month and instead of posting recipes that you’ll find at these fantastic fetes and all over the web at this time of year, I’m trying to help you find some time for yourself by posting recipes that are quick and easy and probably a little more fulfilling than a handful of chips and asiago cheese dip.

Now, here we are with this week’s suggestion: frittata. A friend of mine makes sure that she always has eggs and milk on hand for just this reason. In a pinch, frittata is dinner. If you make a point of never having fewer than maybe a dozen eggs and some milk, you almost always have dinner. It’s pretty much a meal that you can make with the leftovers from last night’s social event. Seriously, a handful of olives, cheese, proscuitto, or whatever you’ve got on hand mixed with some eggs and baked. Around our house, we do use frittata to clean up what odds and ends we might have in the fridge, so it kind of does double duty. We also don’t really eat it as a stand alone meal. I’ll pick up some salad greens as a side or, a favourite of mine, is to serve it with a baked sweet potato.

So, are you ready to give it a try this week? I think you’ll be happy that you did.

If you’re planning on serving with a baked sweet potato, like we do, wash and prick your potatoes and then put them in your oven. Set your oven timer to come on about 60-75 minutes before you want to eat and set it for 350 F. When the potatoes are done, take them out of the oven.

Move the top rack in your oven so that when you put your skillet in, it will be about 4 to 6 inches from the broiler. Turn on the broiler. Add a bit of fat (oil or butter) to your skillet and heat on medium. Add your veggies, meats, leftovers, even pasta, to the skillet to cook.

In mine, I had chopped leeks, mushrooms, and ham. I added the leeks and mushrooms first and then the ham after the mushrooms and onions were soft. While the vegetables are cooking, break the eggs into a bowl and add up to 1/4 cup of of milk or cream. Adding the dairy is optional but I like the richness it adds. Beat the eggs and milk together. Add salt and pepper to the eggs and, if you choose, season the veggies that are cooking in the skillet.

Add the eggs mixture to the skillet. Continue cooking on medium for about 2 minutes, scraping the sides and bottom with a spatula or spoon. When the eggs are mostly cooked but still very wet, stop stirring. You should see cooked egg scattered throughout, but loose egg in between. Continue cooking for another minute to set the bottom.

Sprinkle grated cheese on top of the eggs and then put the skillet under the broiler. Watch carefully while the top browns. This will take about 2-4 minutes. Use those 4 minutes to throw together any other sides (toast? salad?).Remove skillet from oven and let sit for about 5 minutes to finish cooking in centre. Set the table while you do this. Cut into wedges and serve.